Why have a home inspection ?

Why?
A home inspection is one of the most important steps in the home purchase process. Hiring a certified home inspector is essential to ensure the inspection is conducted to a recognized standard, providing the buyer with valuable information about the condition of the home. The goal of the inspection is to identify any MAJOR problems that are apparent on a visual inspection of the property. A listing of minor building flaws or minor repairs and maintenance items may be provided as a courtesy, at the inspector’s discretion.

Selecting your Home Inspector
Your home inspector should have proper training and experience. Today several companies offer home inspection training. When selecting your home inspector ask if they as a member of a professional home inspection organization such as; American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), NACHI (National Association of Certified Home Inspectors), National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI), Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors (CAHPI) as well as having E&O (error & omission) and liability insurance. An inspector that has worked in the building trades and has thorough know of home construction may provided added value to the inspection.

The cheapest isn't always the best
Every home inspection may have different problems. The more certifications/qualifications your home inspector has the more likely he will be able to address the issue during the initial inspection. These added services may increase the home inspection costs slightly however in the long run it will save the home buyer thousands in undetected deficiencies not found.

Certifications
As a minimum your inspector should be:

* Certified/Register Home Inspector - member of professional home inspection organization
* Certified mold inspector - inspection and testing tools. There are over 270 species of mold identified as living in Canadian homes. When mold is permitted to grow and multiply indoors, health problems can occur and building materials, goods and furnishings may be damaged.
* Infrared thermal imaging (Thermographer) - infrared camera Thermal imaging serve as an additional method of verifying defects suspected or found by other means, thus better proving the existence of the defect. (water intrusion and insulation voids) When an home inspector is also a certified mold inspector and infrared thermographer he greatly reduces the home buyer’s risk of water infiltration which cannot be seen or detected in a typical home inspection.

Additional Inspector services include; radon & asbestos testing, WETT and Septic.

Courtesy of Garry D. Heard Greater Durham home Inspections who can be reached by phone at 905-831-4887 or on the web